Scoil Realt na Mara
School Details
About
Scoil Réalt na Mara is a co‑educational Catholic primary school situated in a coastal community, offering education from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. The school’s ethos centres on teamwork, respect, caring concern and inclusion, encouraging each child to discover and grow through a curriculum that blends traditional learning with hands‑on investigative experiences in the surrounding natural environment. Regular field trips to the beach and cliff walks allow pupils to engage directly with their maritime setting, fostering a love of science and environmental stewardship. The school benefits from a modern learning environment that includes a purpose‑built classroom and link corridor added in 2019, an interactive whiteboard, and upgraded emergency lighting and fire‑alarm systems. A dedicated Special Educational Team works alongside mainstream teachers to provide early intervention and team‑teaching, ensuring that individual learning needs are met. Support staff include a full‑time and part‑time school nursing assistant and administrative assistance, all coordinated by an active Board of Management and Parents Council that champion community involvement and continuous professional development.
History
The school was constructed in 1910 and officially opened in November 1911 as two separate institutions – a girls’ school at the front and a boys’ school at the rear, each with two classrooms divided by a folding partition and separate entrances. In 1949 a doorway was created to amalgamate the two schools. Central heating was installed in 1971. An extension programme began in 1997 and was completed by Easter 1999, at which time the school adopted its current name, Scoil Réalt na Mara, in May 1999. A further extension in 2019 added a new classroom and link corridor, and the project also upgraded the building’s emergency lighting and fire‑alarm system.